matchmeeventservices.com blog

Need a theme for your upcoming event and think you’re not creative enough to come up with one. A lot of people don’t consider themselves creative and when it comes to thinking up a theme or the “look” for their event they think they’ve got to rely on someone’s else’s creative input.
Well I say that ain’t necessarily so! You just need some inspiration.
Movies are a great source of inspiration! Movies can make you feel a certain way…they can make you cry, make you laugh, make you feel like you’re on top of the world, make you dream, make you feel adventsuresome…
A movie can transport the viewer to another world which can lead to certain emotional experiences. Think of some of the great movies…lets take the Wizard of Oz. Some set designer created a path to Oz…the yellow brick road. Didn’t just looking at Dorothy skipping down the yellow brick road make you wish you had a yellow brick road that took you to your dreams!
Well you can also give your guests an emotional experience with just a little bit of work… you can come up with your own yellow brick road.
No matter what kind of event you’re planning: a team building seminar, a wedding, a goodbye party, you want your guests engaged in what going on…and you want them to feel a certain way when they leave.
You can use a movie to help you create the “look” and “feel” of your event. When planning any event think about what kind of experience you want for your guests and then find a movie that can inspire you to create your own ” yellow brick road”.

Check our new article Planning Your Own Wedding?…Leave Your Emotions at the Door. Its on Buzzle!

I like a lot of other people are fans of the HBO series True Blood. Will Sookie and Bill ever get married? All we know at this point is Bill did ask her to marry him but of course they have broken up since then… but we of course hope this breakup is only temporary.
But what if they do eventually get married what kind of ceremony and reception would they have. Talk about a wedding planners nightmare!!
You’ve got your humans and your vampires that the wedding planner has to please both!!
Talk about some sleepless nights for that poor wedding planner. Are there catering companies that cater to vampires and if so what do they serve?? And how do you keep the human guests from losing their appetites with vials of blood being served?? And would you get a DJ or a band…what kind of music would vampires and humans both like.
And what about the wedding photographer does he/she need special film to capture a vampire’s image. What are the wedding pictures going to look like if say the best man is a vampire but his image doesn’t show up in the film.
Of course this is all speculation because we all know vampires don’t really exist…they don’t do they?
Well the point of all this rambling is that a wedding planner we can agree has their hands full no matter who or what makes up the guest list. Wedding planning is a tough job…you’re juggling between the bride and groom the family and the guests and how to make everyone happy.
So here’s kudos’ to all those wedding planners out there. It’s a tough job no matter how you look at it. Just be happy the guest list doesn’t include vampires!! Or does it…?

Just saw Eclipse and as all fans know Edward has asked Bella to marry him.
But much to Edward’s surprise Bella is thinking of leaving all the wedding planning up to Alice!
Now I know vampires can do a lot of things but is wedding planner one of their talents?
Even Edward thinks maybe Bella shouldn’t leave all the planning to someone else.
Take a little advice from a vampire when planning your wedding don’t leave everything to someone
else even if its a qualified planner.
Stay involved in the planning process so you get the wedding you want.
Unless you work with the planner and let them know what you want you want you really can’t blame anyone if you’re wedding isn’t exactly what you’d hoped.
Event and Wedding Planners aren’t mind readers.. so work with your planner and get the wedding you want.

Well, you’ve decided you’re getting married. You’ve set the date and you realize you’re going to need help making
your special day exactly what you’d always dreamed it would be…Perfect!
It’s sounds like you might want to consider hiring a Wedding Planner.
What can a Wedding Planner do for you you ask…..

A wedding planner can help you from the very beginning of the planning stage up to the moment everyone leaves your reception.
Or maybe you’ve already done most of the planning, hired most of the vendors and just need a planner a couple of months prior to your wedding day to tie up all the loose ends.
Or maybe you just want someone to be there the day of the wedding to organize everyone and everything.
Once you decide what type of service you need from a wedding planner keep a couple of things in mind when beginning your search for the perfect planner.
• When interviewing planners focus on what’s going on when you’re with them. Do you feel comfortable talking with them.
Do they really listen and understand what you want for your big day. Do they seem to be genuinely interested
and excited about your wedding day.
Some things to talk about when interviewing the planner:
• What is their experience as a wedding planner: how long have they been planning weddings, how many weddings have they planned recently and what was the size of the weddings.
• References from former clients.
• How do they charge for their services: By the hour, flat rate, percentage of the overall cost.
• Do they offer Wedding Planning packages? If so what are the specifics about what each package offers and
the total cost.

You’re planning a wedding reception, outdoor birthday party, 80′s dance party or a casino night… and you need all kinds of stuff to get the party ready for your guests. You might need a big tent and lighting for that outdoor party or a disco ball and

portable dance floor for that 80′s party or a portable bar, glassware, tables, chairs, linens, generator and/or a thousand other things.
Before you rent inspect the item thoroughly for any previous damage and make sure the rental company makes a note of any damage. When the item is delivered recheck the item again for any damage during delivery. When opting for delivery service be clear before signing the rental contract on the delivery charges and what additional fees could be added for: more rental time, any extra charge for long distance delivery, set up and tear down fees for rental equipment etc.
When you figure out what you need for your party just call a party rental or prop house to provide you with
everything you need to throw a great party!

When searching for the perfect event venue or site for your wedding, company holiday party, or family reunion our best advice to you is don’t freak or stress out. Just take it one step at a time.
• The first step to finding your perfect venue or site is to determine a date and a time for your event.
• Next give some thought to how you imagine your event will look. Are you looking for a big open space like a loft so you can decorate the room just the way you want? Or do you want a classy look for your event maybe a museum or an art gallery? Or maybe you need a banquet hall or maybe you want an outdoor site like a garden or beach setting? Or are you looking for a beautiful hotel room for your wedding reception?
• Once you have a good idea about the look of your event and you have a budget in mind begin exploring as soon as you can the types of venues and sites that can accommodate your budget and your wants for design possibilities.
Beginning your search early allows you the time you need to look over many venues and sites and gives you a better chance of booking the site you want when you want it.
• Go see the space. Check it out thoroughly. Is it going to meet your design, budget and capacity needs?
With each venue or site spend some time talking with the person in charge.Will you like working with this person?
• Do a little research about the venue. What have others got to say about their experience. Check references. Are they a reputable company to do business with?
• Ask to see a sample contract. Don’t be intimidated. Read it thoroughly and ask as many questions as you need to clarify anything you don’t understand.
• Finally, take all the information you’ve gathered and use it to make an informed decision.
Here’s to you finding your perfect event venue/site!

Finding just any caterer is not that difficult.

Just go online-there are several web sites that can provide you with the names of lots of catering companies in your area. While finding just any caterer may not be that difficult hiring the right one for your event is quite a different story.
Just recently I had a friend call and as a favor asked me to help him find a caterer for a small company awards lunch.
He was short on time and just wanted to get an idea of pricing for a
lunch buffet. For regular people like me who don’t hire a caterer
everyday I wasn’t sure exactly how to find the right caterer for his party.
I quickly learned after calling a few caterers that its best if you’re well prepared whenyou make that first call otherwise you’re wasting your
time and the caterer’s.
Unless you have your event details ready when you call it will be difficult for any caterer to give you an accurate quote.
And without an accurate quote you may end up spending more for catering services than you had originally budgeted for.
So before you make that first call to a caterer be prepared to give
detailed answers to the caterer questions but also be prepared to
ask the caterer specific questions about their services.
I’ve listed some things you should think about and have answers to before you make that first call and have also
included some questions you need to ask the caterer.
Hopefully by being prepared when talking with each caterer you’ll get a more accurate quote for their services and with this information
you’ll be better able to decide on just the right caterer for your event.

1. Total number of guests including children attending the event.
2. Day and time of the event-For the time of the event you need to estimate how many hours you think
your event may run. For a company lunch buffet it may be only two hours for a birthday party it might be four to five hours.
This gives the caterer an idea of how to schedule. When they need to set up and break down etc.
3. How will the food be served buffet, sit down meal, or appetizer service and a sit down meal?
4. What kind of food do you want served. Hot and cold food or just appetizers. Will you need a carving station.
If you’re thinking of a carving station how many meats do you want served and what kind of meats.
Be aware that there will likely be an additional charge for the carving station attendant. Will you want dessert available?
5. Duration of the service. For a buffet you may want the food available only at the beginning of the event or
you may want food available throughout the event. If you’re offering appetizers before a sit down meal how
long do you want the appetizers offered before the meal? Half an hour, an hour or two hours?
6. How much do you want to spend per person? The per person rate is determined in part by the type of food
you want served. So give this some thought before you call the caterer. The per person rate may or may not
include other items like linens, tables silverware. Check with each caterer and find out exactly what is included in their per person rate.
7. Do you want alcohol served at your event? Does the caterer provide alcohol service? If so how do they charge? 
If you want alcohol served do you want just beer and wine served or do you also want mixed drinks available for your guests?
Do you want blended drinks served? Is there an extra charge for blended drinks? Decide if the bar will be hosted or
will you be wanting the quests to pay for their own drinks. Will you want the drinks served in glassware or plastic?
8. The venue: where are you having the event. Some venues have their own catering service and do not allow outside vendors.
9. Ask about the ratio of servers to guests. You need more servers for sit down service as opposed to a buffet
where fewer servers are required.
10.  How about server rates, bartender rates, carver station attendant rates. Over time rates.
11. What is the required deposit and how soon in advance does the caterer require it.
12. Ask about their contract. See if the caterer is willing to forward you a copy.

So you’re planning your wedding reception or a company event and you know you’ll want to have a bartender/s available to
serve your quests those fancy blended drinks or to pour and serve a glass of champagne to help get your guests in
the party mood.

Having a professional bartender for your wedding reception or party is an important ingredient for the success of any event.
You want your guests to relax and have a good time and having a cocktail is a great way to get everyone to relax and socialize.

But what is a good bartender and how do you know one when you see one?

Not so long ago I was a bartender by trade. I worked for a few years as a bartender for hotels and restaurants as well as private catering companies. I worked hotel bars with a cocktail server calling out an order of maybe fifteen or more drinks and I could remember each drink and have them all ready for delivery in no time. I have worked events with a guest list of 500 people and
with the help of other bartenders kept everyone served and happy.

Because of my experience working as a bartender I have a pretty good idea of what a good bartender is and what to look for
when you need to hire one.

So what makes a great bartender and how do you find one you can trust to do the job?

A professional bartender is:

• Someone who shows up on time and is dressed for the occasion and even better yet can make a good blended drink.
• A professional should be able to serve your guests efficiently and with a smile!
• A professional bartender should also be able to monitor the guests so they don’t over consume.
• A true mixologist when asked should be able to tell you the ingredients for any number of drinks.
• An experienced bartender should be able to pour a good drink without over pouring.
• And an experienced bartender should be able to give you an idea of what kind of alcohol to serve for your type of event
and how much alcohol to order for a specific number of guests.
.
How to find a good bartender:

• You can get recommendations from family and friends
• If you’ve booked a venue ask to see their list of preferred vendors
• If you have an event or wedding planner they should be able to recommend freelance bartenders or a bartender
service that they’ve worked with
• If you’ve hired a caterer they may have a bartender service they use or can recommend but be cautious when accepting recommendations from vendors you have never done business with before. You should
still check out the recommended bartender or service for yourself.

To better help you make an informed decision:
• It’s a good idea to do some research on the going rate for bartender services. Go online and check out various
bartender services some post the cost of their service online. Or call around for quotes.
• When speaking with a freelance bartender or bartender service clarify what exactly is included in their service.
For example for a freelance bartender ask if they supply their own bartending kit? For a bartender service ask about
attire, licenses. Who supplies blender, glasses ice etc.

While granted this article doesn’t give you everything you need to know about hiring a bartender it will I think give you
a good idea of how to begin your search and it also provides you with some of the important questions that you’ll need to
ask and get answers to when hiring a bartender.

Hopefully with this information in hand you’ll be able to find the best professional bartender-a bartender that will
help make your event a success.